FINRA Regulatory Oversight Report to Publish Next Week

Features

• FINRA Regulatory Oversight Report to Publish Next Week 
  The Annual Regulatory Oversight Report is one of FINRA’s most anticipated and valued resources for member firms—and this year, we are publishing it earlier than ever in response to member feedback. It will be released on FINRA.org on Dec. 9, and we will share it with you then. The 2026 report provides insights on cyber-enabled fraud, senior investor protection, generative AI, and much more. It also reflects our FINRA Forward commitment to empowering member firm compliance by sharing intelligence from across our Regulatory Operations. 
   
• Member Firm Report Cards Enhanced with Interactive Features and New Content 
  We have significantly enhanced our report card program, a voluntary compliance support tool that has served member firms for more than 25 years. In a new blog, Stephanie Dumont, Executive Vice President and Chief Market Services Officer, outlines key developments: a new interactive report card interface offering daily data updates and customizable features; new “classic” report cards, including one about offering activity in municipal bonds; continued engagement with member firms to guide future improvements; and more. 
   
• FINRA Cybersecurity Alert: SitusAMC Security Incident 
  Member firms should be aware of a security incident involving SitusAMC, a technology services company that provides solutions to commercial and real estate banks and financiers, many of which serve as vendors to member firms. Given the third- and fourth-party risk that this incident poses to firms, FINRA recommends sharing this Cyber Alert with appropriate information technology and information security personnel as well as with any third-party vendors that may also leverage the services of SitusAMC. 
   
• New Podcast: Making Your Voice Heard Through FINRA Member Engagement 
  In the latest episode of the FINRA Unscripted podcast, two FINRA Regional Committee members discuss the importance of member firm engagement with FINRA, how we act on the feedback we receive from member firms, as well as their experience engaging with us. 
   
• The Fourth Webinar in the FINOP Focus Series Is Tomorrow 
  FINRA is hosting the fourth and final webinar of this year in the FINOP Focus series, a targeted educational series designed specifically for Financial and Operations Principals (FINOPs) and compliance professionals. Join FINRA staff on Dec. 4, from 1 to 1:35 p.m. ET, as they address part two of the Annual Reporting Updates, which focuses on common annual audit reporting pitfalls. You can access the first three webinars in this series here, including part one of the Annual Reporting Updates, which includes the implementation of the SEC electronic filing rule as mentioned below and in Information Notice 11/14/25. 
   
• ICYMI: FINRA Updates Codes of Arbitration Procedure for Arbitrator List Selection 
  FINRA amended its Codes of Arbitration Procedure (Codes) to better balance the process for generating the list of public arbitrators sent to the parties in certain customer and industry disputes. Under the amendments, public arbitrators who are not chair-qualified will now have two chances for selection when generating public arbitrator lists in cases with three arbitrators. The amendments also make ministerial changes to codify certain current practices to increase transparency in the arbitration forum, establish new timeframes for objecting to and withdrawing requests for additional arbitrator information and filing arbitrator removal motions, and align expungement-related provisions in the Codes. The amendments become effective Jan. 26, 2026, as detailed in Reg. Notice 25-16 published on Nov. 18. 
   
• ICYMI: Trade Reporting Facilities to Open Earlier 
  FINRA has adopted rule amendments to extend the operating hours of the FINRA Trade Reporting Facilities, which provide members with a mechanism for reporting OTC trades in NMS stocks. Effective March 30, 2026, the FINRA/NYSE Trade Reporting Facility, the FINRA/Nasdaq Trade Reporting Facility Carteret, and the FINRA/Nasdaq Trade Reporting Facility Chicago will open at 4 a.m. ET each business day instead of 8 a.m. ET. This change will facilitate greater price transparency by aligning the facilities’ operating hours with the Securities Information Processors that consolidate all quotes and trades across U.S. equities trading venues into a single data feed. Please see Reg. Notice 25-15, published Nov. 13, for details. 
   
• ICYMI: SEC Amends Electronic Submission Requirements 
  The SEC recently adopted amendments to require firms to submit annual reports and other materials electronically to the agency. In particular, members should note that the SEC will no longer accept paper submissions of annual reports. Because FINRA already requires electronic submission of the annual report, the amendments do not affect how members submit these filings to us. The SEC also made changes to the FOCUS Report. Please see Information Notice 11/14/25 for details.